Hellblade 2 Developer Ninja Theory Thanks Fans For 'Incredible Response'

So, how many months until Microsoft announces Ninja Theory closing?

It is a technical marvel some achievement!

I doubt if I'll ever be able to finish the game cause being in my 60s my hands aren't as nimble as they use to be but I have enjoyed what little I got to play of it.

I’m happy that the people who are playing it are enjoying it.

But more importantly I’m happy to see it was a release in good shape (as all games should) runs well, no bugs. Definitely an improvement on recent first part releases

Still no comments from Phil - usually we would have heard something from him by now

Finished it last night and I loved it. Clocked 8 hours - happy with that. Could have done with a very short epilogue but otherwise was awesome. I do wish other games would tell their stories more tightly like this.

Definitely a solid addition to Xbox’s varied lineup. This will stick with me far longer than the original did. And visually it was 🔥 - I rarely use photo modes and usually roll my eyes at them but I couldn’t help but keep using this one.

@BleedingDreamer The game actually has some really, really great accessibility options that can help you get through it much easier! I highly recommend giving them a look in the settings, because the full experience is great!

Nice group photo before Microsoft shuts them down 🤣

Kudos to the team for this amazing achievement. The game is full of passion and dedication. I hope more people get to enjoy this amazing piece of art. I can already see them winning the best narrative awards from multiple outlets this year. Wish them all the best.

@InterceptorAlpha @Fenbops You think with how many people have lost their job. As a community, we shouldn’t be here joking about that. What is wrong with y’all.

I’m most of the way through chapter four and I’m absolutely loving this game. I adored the original and, to me, this is more of the same but more refined. I can’t wait to play more! Congrats, Ninja Theory, your hard work paid off.

WOW, what an incredible experience!!
I would also like to thank NT for their hard work and dedication to see through with their vision for Senua, and for not turning it into just another hack and slash game.
Very happy that games like Hellblade 2 are being made 😁.

Congratulations to the team and all involved 👏!

I beat the first game to experience the original first and although I didn't expect it, I loved it! It's much more than it seems. Definitely, not just a cinematic game and one of the stories I've liked the most, plus solid combat. I wrote my impressions on the "Now Playing on Series S|X" thread. If the sequel is as good, it doesn't deserve Pure Xbox's harsh review. Being on Game Pass, don't miss them! I regret having ignored the first title all these years.

@AverageGamer

As a community, we shouldn’t be here joking about that. What is wrong with y’all

I know right? It perplexing and reaching bad taste levels of jesting...

@Sol4ris @Averagegamer The problem is that it probably won’t be classed as a joke in the end..

I think because of my age and the kind of gaming I grew up with, I don't get excited about these type of games anymore. They just don't feel like...games... more like you're taking control of a movie.

I'm sure it's a great experience, but not for me...

@AverageGamer we can joke about it, you don’t have to like it, that’s fine. The ‘community’ isn’t one single minded entity. Sorry.

@RetroMan71 I don't like cinematic games with mediocre gameplay and that's why I haven't played this until now, but Hellblade is not that. I thought that it was just a game trying to be flashy and edgy, but it's the opposite. I also thought that it was saturated with grimaces, but the actress doesn't overact. It's a unique game surrounded by prejudices. There is a feature included as extra in the first game that made me understand how carefully the elements of this story were chosen.

Really great game and those graphics!.

@InterceptorAlpha "So, how many months until Microsoft announces Ninja Theory closing?"

Ninja Theory have proved themselves to be a top quality studio.
Now it's the Sony studios turn, closing down London Studios and laying off people from their most successful studios this year including Naughty Dog, Insomniac and Gorilla Games must have their smaller studios very worried.

Congratulations to the team - the tech work on this title is outstanding on both Visual fidelity and sound and the mocap work is sublime.
I didnt enjoy the first game at all, so I've not played this and won't comment on the game, but I really appreciate what they have achieved technically and hope they go from strength to strength in the future.

@Sifi oh look turning something straight to Sony. Why PX allow you to turn every article to this is beyond me. Especially the ones that have nothing to do with Sony.

Just let ninja theory have their praise for what they have delivered

I have only really had time to play about an hour of the game, but I have been really enjoying it!

While I understand people's arguments that the gameplay is lacking and that the whole thing is nothing but a tech demo - many saying they "watched a YouTube playthrough" and got bored - to sit and engage with it on your own terms on a 4K TV with HDR and headphones on just "feels" different.

To actively engage in the slower combat rather than watch it feels different.
To see all the fine-grain details of the game world that get lost in YouTube compression feels different.
To just be able to move around on your own also makes a difference.

I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes one just needs to experience it for themself rather than watch someone play it in a compressed video.

Yes, story-telling takes the front seat here over in-depth gameplay. There is a lot of walking, puzzles aren't hard, and I wouldn't say combat is massively difficult (though, in my opinion, it does "feel" intense when you are actually doing it yourself). But every portion of the game has a purpose in telling the story Ninja Theory wanted to tell.

It's also fine if this kind of experience isn't for you - I get it. But the toxicity about it has been awful and unwarranted.

You can see this is a labor of love from the team and I appreciate all of their hard work in crafting this experience.

@GlasgowGuy Spencer has to be tired of everyone. Fans, regulators, Sony, and Microsoft bosses.

I might start on the first one as soon as I complete sea of starts (possibly tonight) Looking forward to both Hellblade 1 and 2 as this is a type of game I usually enjoy. Cool, to see the good opinions.

@InterceptorAlpha This is getting old man. Those closings were only at Bethesda and they did it because people want more fallout and elder scrolls. End of story. Stop trying to make some huge all encompassing statement about MS with it.

@InterceptorAlpha Enough already. Let's celebrate this technical achievement and all the hard work this small studio put in to making this game.

@InterceptorAlpha

Come on now. You could just be happy. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. It's ok to celebrate. I promise.

So pumped for them. Incredible bar setting achievement.

@Grippie What is getting old? People blindly defending a company, Microsoft, that doesn't care they exist? Or Microsoft having a rich history of closing successful studios like FASA, Ensemble, Lionhead, Press Play, DA, Aces, etc.

And that's to say nothing of countless hardware divisions they purchased, canabilized, then shuttered, thereafter.

@Sifi Ninja Theory is one of my favorite studios. Your comment seems to be aimed at someone that dislikes Ninja Theory. Not sure why you're brining up Sony though. I have several decades of investment in the Microsoft ecosystem, not Playstation. Couldn't care less what they do. Yes I have a Playstation, but at the end of the day, nothing Sony does really has an effect on me.

@AverageGamer Who is joking? Seems like you're conflating a cynical prediction, based off historical examples mind you, with a comment made to create a laugh.

I'm not laughing.

Kind of crazy how there’s like a 0.5 percent of blacks as devs in 2024 lol I’m exaggerating but most pics of teams will have more Indians or Hawaiians than blacks

Finished the game just now. Absolutely loved it. My only gripe (seriously, I only have one) is that Senua walks too slowly. Nice that you can toggle "run" on so you dont have to hold the lb button but still, her fastest movements are too slow. Other than that, no complains! Graphic, music, audio, performance, story and acting are the high points. I dont understand the puzzle critisism. There werent a lot of them and never uniteresting to me (some could have been a bit harder though). Combat, though easy felt super intense and urgent. Absolutely loved the animation and fighting sequences.
For me this game is a 10/10 (like the first one). Might not win a GOTY but definetly deserve a nomination. Should win a bunch of awards for other stuff though, especially acting and graphics.

@InterceptorAlpha Take a breath and enjoy life, gaming and everything else.

@cburg Enjoyment and criticism aren't mutually exclusive. Nothing stopping you from learning that.

It's a Masterpiece ♥️ Thank You Ninja Theory Thank You Melina

@BIG3 I wonder why they didn't map running to the analogue stick like most games since Super Mario 64 in 1996. There are parts where she is not able to run and I totally respect that because it's part of the game design, but still could be mapped because she only has two different speeds at any given time. That's also my biggest complaint and happy to see more people commenting on that!

@Banjo- You can toggle it under accessibilities so she always move at the "faster" speed.

@BIG3 I beat both games this week, too bad I didn't check that! It's disappointing that they turned the analogue stick into a digital stick.

@BIG3 I pretty much entirely agree. I thought the combat was lacking a bit with its simple controls, but it was way more intense that the combat in the first game and every time and enemy charged in and rugby tackled Senua I was hooked. Puzzles, again, may not be the greatest in video games, but more variety and interest than the first game.

I didn't realise you could toggle on run, so I just held the button most of the time. I have an Elite controller so mapped the button to a paddle and didn't mind holding it.